Israel reviews Gaza ceasefire proposal, insists on release of hostages

SBS Australia

8 hours ago

Mediators are awaiting an official Israeli response to a ceasefire plan with Hamas, after Hamas signalled its readiness for a fresh round of talks aimed at ending nearly two years of war. Mediator Qatar expressed guarded optimism for the new proposal, noting that it was "almost identical" to an earlier version agreed to by Israel. Speaking on the condition of anonymity, a senior Israeli official told AFP the government's stance had not changed and demanded the release of all hostages in any deal. Rubi Chen's son, Israeli-American soldier Itay Chen, was taken hostage from his military base on October 7,2023. Israel determined that Chen was likely killed on that day, and that his body still remains in Gaza. His father says releasing all captives must take priority over dismantling Hamas. "The release of the hostages supersedes and comes before, in a timeline, then the dismantling of Hamas. You can dismantle Hamas, but on the way, you might kill some of the living hostages and some of the deceased hostages might get lost forever. Therefore, we ask, simple thing. First, prioritise the release of all the hostages, get them out. And then we can always manage and deal with the Hamas and any other of the external threats that are possessed to the state of Israel." Israel and Hamas have held on-and-off indirect negotiations throughout the war, resulting in two short truces during which Israeli hostages were released in exchange for Palestinian prisoners. But they have ultimately failed to broker a lasting ceasefire. Qatar and Egypt, backed by the United States, have mediated the frequent rounds of shuttle diplomacy. Egypt said on Monday that it and Qatar had sent the new proposal to Israel. Qatari foreign ministry spokesman Majed al-Ansari says Hamas supports the plan and that it was now up to Israel to take the next step. "We consider it a positive response, and it is almost identical to what was agreed on previously by the Israeli side. However, we are still waiting for Israel's response to this proposal that we received (from Hamas). What can be confirmed, colleagues, is that we are now not only at a pivotal moment, a decisive moment, and so on. We are now at a truly humanitarian moment. If we do not reach an agreement now. We are facing a humanitarian catastrophe that will make the catastrophe that preceded it seem tiny before it." According to a report in Egyptian state-linked outlet Al-Qahera News, the latest deal proposes an initial 60-day truce, a partial hostage release, the freeing of some Palestinian prisoners, and provisions allowing for the entry of aid. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has yet to publicly comment on the plan, but said last week that his country would accept an agreement in which all the hostages are released at once; and "according to our conditions for ending the war." The United States confirmed Hamas had accepted the plan, with White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt crediting U-S President Donald Trump. "I don't think it's a coincidence that Hamas accepted this proposal after the president of the United States posted a very strong statement about this conflict on Truth Social yesterday. I would refer you back to that statement. As for this proposal that Hamas has now accepted, the United States continues to discuss it, and I'll let the president weigh in on it definitively." Hamas' acceptance of the proposal came as Mr Netanyahu faces increasing pressure at home and abroad to end the war. On Sunday, tens of thousands took to the streets in the Israeli city of Tel Aviv to call for an end to the war and a deal to free the remaining hostages still held captive. Of the 251 hostages taken during Hamas's October 2023 attack that triggered the war, 49 are still in Gaza, including 27 the Israeli military says are dead. The new proposal also comes after Israel's security cabinet approved plans to conquer Gaza City, fanning fears the new offensive will worsen the already catastrophic humanitarian crisis in the territory. Palestinian woman Huda Rishe says she's been displaced from her home in Gaza City four times and has no idea what to expect next. "We are, God willing, optimistic this time that we will reach a truce. But they are talking about a 60-day humanitarian truce, and after they (Israel) take the prisoners, they will strike us again. We will return to Gaza, then leave it again. We have lost hope. We cannot understand things because we do not know what is happening to us." Gaza's civil defence agency reported that 48 people were killed in the last 24 hours by Israeli strikes and fire across the territory. Agency spokesman Mahmud Bassal told AFP the situation was "very dangerous" in the Zeitoun and Sabra neighbourhoods of Gaza City, where he said artillery shelling continues intermittently. The Israeli military declined to comment on specific troop movements, saying only that it was "operating to dismantle Hamas military capabilities" and took "feasible precautions to mitigate civilian harm". Around 1,200 people were killed in Hamas' October 2023 attack on southern Israel. Israel's offensive since then has killed more than 62,000 Palestinians, according to figures from Gaza's Health Ministry
The ministry does not say how many of the dead were civilians or combatants, but says women and children make up around half of those killed.